Facts versus fiction: Socio‐political and economic development of Burma under military management since 1988

Abstract

Abstract The Burmese military under the command of General Saw Maung staged a coup in the name of saving the country by killing thousands of unarmed demonstrators on 18 September 1988. After forming a nineteen‐man military junta which was named the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), Burmese generals vowed to manage the country to accomplish three tasks: the restoration of law and order, the provision of safe and secure transportation, the fulfilment of the socio‐economic needs of the people. The article examines and evaluates the accomplishment of SLORC in attending to these three tasks based upon the reports given by the military regimes and its lobbyists and by the people and outside observers of Burma. The basic conclusion of the article is that there is a tremendous gap between the fictional official reports and the factual reports given by the people on the improvements in the socio‐political and economic conditions in Burma under the military management since 1988.